5 women's college basketball players to watch out for in second round of 2024 NCAA March Madness ft. JuJu Watkins

The 2024 women's NCAA Tournament is officially underway in what may be the most exciting time in women's college basketball history. From the stars to the underdogs, there are plenty of players that fans will want to keep an eye on throughout this year's tournament.

With many memorable moments already on display in the first round, the second round promises to bring even more excitement. This list will look at five women's college basketball players that fans should put on their radar as they advance to the second round of the March Madness tournament.

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Five women's college basketball players to watch out for in the second round of 2024 March Madness

#1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa

Iowa v Michigan

This may seem like an obvious choice to include on this list, but Caitlin Clark's historic season and quest for her first NCAA March Madness title are the biggest headlines in women's college basketball. This will be Clark's final tournament before entering the WNBA draft next season.

She has been a must-see entertainment all season, leading the nation in scoring and assists. She averaged 31.9 points and 8.9 assists this season while shooting 46% from the field.

Clark passed Kelsey Plum to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history. The only thing that may be holding her back from becoming a true all-time great in college basketball would be the missing NCAA title from her list of accomplishments.

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#2. JuJu Watkins, USC

USC v Ohio State

Even with Caitlin Clark on her way to the WNBA after this season, women's college basketball and future March Madness tournaments will be in the very capable hands of USC's freshman guard JuJu Watkins.

Fans will get their first chance to see how Watkins performs in the NCAA Tournament this year, and if her regular-season performance was an indication, she will be a top player in the tournament.

Watkins ranked second in scoring behind Caitlin Clark, averaging 27.0 points per game and leading the USC Trojans to a 26-5 record this season. Watkins' most impressive performance this season was a record 51-point game against Stanford in February. Not only did she finish with a career-high scoring record, she also added 11 rebounds and two assists.

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#3. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

Notre Dame v NC State

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo is another young freshman who appears to have a promising future in college basketball. She is averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 45.3% from the field this season. She has also flirted with a triple-double in a handful of games in what is just her freshman year.

Hidalgo led the Fighting Irish to a 27-6 record this season and earned the second seed in the Albany 1 region. She finished with 14 points, 11 assists, and 6 steals in her first-ever March Madness game against Kent State.

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#4. Audi Crooks, Iowa State

Iowa State v Oklahoma

Iowa State Cyclones freshman center Audi Crooks has quietly been one of the nation's top scorers this season. She ranks 29th in the country, averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting just under 60% from the field.

In Iowa State's March Madness opener, she finished with a double-double that included 40 points and 12 rebounds while posting a 90% field goal percentage. Those historic numbers were enough to get the Cyclones past the Maryland Terrapins in the first round.

Crooks has shined the brightest during the biggest games for the Cyclones this season, averaging 28.2 points over the last four games. She will attempt to keep her dominant scoring performances going, but she will have her hands full with No. 2 seed Stanford in the next round.

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#5. Jalynn Gregory, Middle Tennessee

#10 Jalynn Gregory celebrating Middle Tennessee's upset over Louisville

The No. 11-seed Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders shocked the No. 6-seed Louisville Cardinals in the opening round of March Madness, behind 24 points from junior guard Jalynn Gregory. Gregory played a whopping total of 40 minutes in this game and finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. She was automatic from the free throw line, shooting 10-11, and shot 4-7 from beyond the arc.

Middle Tennessee will have little time to rest before they face Angel Reese and the No. 3-seed LSU Tigers on Sunday. Gregory and her backcourt partner Savannah Wheeler will both look to replicate their strong first-round outings to complete another major upset and advance to the Sweet 16.